Summary
It has been reported that selective MAO-A inhibitors, clorgyline and brofaromine, but not the MAO-B inhibitors, deprenyl and pargyline, stimulated rat pineal melatonin synthesis in humans and animals. Recent studies, however, found no eflect of moclobemide, a selective MAO-A inhibitor, on human plasma melatonin levels.
Present study found that in vitro moclobemide produced very weak stimulation of rat pineal NAT activity. However, in vivo moclobemide induced a significant increase of rat pineal NAS and melatonin content, and a dramatic decrease of 5-HIAA content (HPLC-fluorimetric procedure). Moclobemide’s effect on melatonin and related indoles could be detected as early as 30 min after the injection and lasted, at least, for 2 h.
The possible reasons for discrepancies between human and animal data are discussed.
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References
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© 1990 Springer-Verlag
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Oxenkrug, G.F., Requintina, P.J., Yuwiler, A. (1990). Does moclobemide stimulate melatonin synthesis as the other selective MAO-A inhibitors do?. In: Riederer, P., Youdim, M.B.H. (eds) Amine Oxidases and Their Impact on Neurobiology. Journal of Neural Transmission, vol 32. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9113-2_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9113-2_25
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